Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Disclosure of Information

lord wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to review the framework of protections offered to whistleblowers.

lord wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the protections offered to whistleblowers by regulatory authorities.

lord duncan of springbank: The Government recognises how valuable it is that whistleblowers are prepared to shine a light on wrongdoing, and believes that they should be able to do so without fear of recriminations. The Government has continued to make reforms to the whistleblowing regime to enhance the role of prescribed persons. The most recent reform was a new legislative requirement for most prescribed persons to produce an annual report on whistleblowing disclosures made to them by workers and how they were taken forward. Relevant prescribed persons were required to publish the second of these reports by the end of September 2019. The duty increases confidence in the actions taken by prescribed persons through greater transparency about how disclosures are handled. Alongside the new duty, the Government published guidance for prescribed persons to help them understand their role and provide advice on complying with legal requirements as well as practices beyond the whistleblowing legislation. The Government has committed to reviewing the whistleblowing framework once the recent reforms have built the necessary evidence of their impact.

Visas: EU Countries

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Lord Privy Seal on 3 February (HLWS83), whether "short-term business trips to supply services" will apply to (1) the creative industries, and (2) IT services.

lord duncan of springbank: We are ending free movement of people. However, we still want to support our businesses in moving their talented people to provide services in both the UK and the EU, as quickly and as easily as possible. The UK’s creative and digital industries comprise around 20% of the UK’s total exports in services and have grown rapidly in recent years. DCMS has engaged extensively with union bodies, artists and cultural organisations to help understand the needs of the creative and cultural sector, including freelancers who make up a significant proportion of people in these sectors. As set out in the Political Declaration, both the EU and the UK will aim to provide for visa-free travel for short-term visits, and agree provisions on temporary entry and stay of natural persons, allowing businesses to move their talented employees and provide services. The scope and detail of this will be subject to negotiations with the EU. During the Transition period, until the end of 2020, there will be no changes to rules to provide services or work temporarily in the EU and UK Nationals can continue to travel to the EU as now.

Visas: EU Countries

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are seeking to negotiate with the EU a visa-waiving treaty for UK workers in the creative industries, resident in the UK, seeking to market their services in the EU.

lord duncan of springbank: We are ending free movement of people. However, we still want to support our businesses in moving their talented people to provide services in both the UK and the EU, as quickly and easily as possible. As set out in the Political Declaration, both the EU and the UK will aim to provide for visa-free travel for short-term visits, and agree provision on temporary entry and stay of natural persons, allowing businesses to move their talented employees and provide services. The scope and detail of this will be subject to negotiations with the EU. During the Transition period, until the end of 2020, there will be no changes to rules to provide services or work temporarily in the EU and UK Nationals can continue to travel to the EU as now.

UK Trade with EU

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Lord Privy Seal on 3 February (HLWS83), whether the "measures to minimise barriers to the cross-border supply of services and investment" will include provisions for the free onward movement of (1) personnel, and (2) equipment, between EU countries.

lord duncan of springbank: As set out in the Political Declaration, both the EU and the UK will aim to provide for visa-free travel for short-term visits, and agree provision on temporary entry and stay of natural persons, allowing businesses to move their talented employees and provide services. The temporary movement of goods and equipment is a priority for cultural, creative and sport sectors - this includes instruments used by touring musicians, objects and collections loaned between museums, and sporting equipment taken to competitive events. Cultural, creative and sporting organisations from all over the world regularly bring their goods and equipment into the UK on a temporary basis, and UK organisations do the same all over the world too. Arrangements for moving goods and equipment between the UK and EU will not change before the end of the Transition period in December 2020. During the Transition period, until the end of 2020, there will also be no changes to rules to provide services or work temporarily in the EU and UK Nationals can continue to travel to the EU as now. The scope and detail of this will be subject to negotiations with the EU.

Climate Change: Arctic

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they taking to reduce the thawing of permafrost in the Arctic.

lord duncan of springbank: The Government is in no doubt that climate change is one of the greatest global challenges we face, and that action is urgently needed in the UK and across the world. It is clear that we are already seeing the impacts of climate change, with the Arctic among those regions being particularly affected. We are at the forefront of global action on climate change and we are determined to build on the leadership we have shown to date, notably through our world-leading net zero target set in UK legislation in June last year. We are hosting the crucial COP26 climate negotiations this year, and we are determined to use this conference to promote ambitious action to deliver the transformational change required by the Paris Agreement.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

*No heading*

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of conditions in detention centres in or near Tripoli, in particular in terms of (1) food, (2) water, and (3) hygiene; and what representations they have made to the government of Libya to improve conditions in such detention centres.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 29 January 2020.The correct answer should have been:

The UK remains deeply concerned by the conditions faced by migrants and refugees in Libyan detention centres. We continue to urge the Libyan authorities to pursue alternatives to detention and implement a better functioning migration system that respects human rights. The UK supports the UN's call for detention centres across Libya to be closed, and for the migrants and refugees within them to be evacuated to safety.We have repeatedly called for urgent humanitarian access for the UN and international humanitarian actors, and for all parties to adhere to International Humanitarian Law. The UK provided £1 million to the 2019 UN Flash Appeal, and was the first country to respond to the appeal. In April 2019, the UN released $2 million from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to provide life-saving assistance to civilians caught up in the escalating fighting in Libya, including vulnerable migrants and refugees. The UK was the biggest donor to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) in 2018, providing £114.3 89 million. As part of our current £75 million migration programme along the Central Mediterranean Route, we have allocated up to £5 million to humanitarian assistance and protection for migrants and refugees in Libya, including targeted healthcare provision.These efforts form part of the UK's comprehensive, 'whole-of-route' approach to protecting migrants and refugees who are travelling along the Central Mediterranean Route. This includes humanitarian assistance and protection for migrants and refugees, cracking down on people smuggling, supporting assisted voluntary returns and working intensively to end the conflict in Libya. To this end, the Prime Minister attended the Berlin Conference on 19 January, where attendees agreed to support the current ceasefire and UN-led political talks, and pledged to respect the UN arms embargo. The UK is clear that the human rights situation in Libya can only be improved under the stability of a united and representative government, facilitated by the UN-led political process.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK remains deeply concerned by the conditions faced by migrants and refugees in Libyan detention centres. We continue to urge the Libyan authorities to pursue alternatives to detention and implement a better functioning migration system that respects human rights. The UK supports the UN's call for detention centres across Libya to be closed, and for the migrants and refugees within them to be evacuated to safety.We have repeatedly called for urgent humanitarian access for the UN and international humanitarian actors, and for all parties to adhere to International Humanitarian Law. The UK provided £1 million to the 2019 UN Flash Appeal, and was the first country to respond to the appeal. In April 2019, the UN released $2 million from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to provide life-saving assistance to civilians caught up in the escalating fighting in Libya, including vulnerable migrants and refugees. The UK was the biggest donor to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) in 2018, providing £114.3 89 million. As part of our current £75 million migration programme along the Central Mediterranean Route, we have allocated up to £5 million to humanitarian assistance and protection for migrants and refugees in Libya, including targeted healthcare provision.These efforts form part of the UK's comprehensive, 'whole-of-route' approach to protecting migrants and refugees who are travelling along the Central Mediterranean Route. This includes humanitarian assistance and protection for migrants and refugees, cracking down on people smuggling, supporting assisted voluntary returns and working intensively to end the conflict in Libya. To this end, the Prime Minister attended the Berlin Conference on 19 January, where attendees agreed to support the current ceasefire and UN-led political talks, and pledged to respect the UN arms embargo. The UK is clear that the human rights situation in Libya can only be improved under the stability of a united and representative government, facilitated by the UN-led political process.

Israel: Palestinians

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they first had the opportunity to read the President of the USA's proposalPeace To Prosperity: A Vision To Improve The Lives Of The Palestinian And Israeli People, published on 28 January; and what assessment they have made of the political framework proposals contained therein.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The US Administration shared details of their proposals with us in advance. However, this is an American plan. We were not involved in its formulation. The US are aware of our position on the Middle East Peace Process. This is clearly a serious proposal, reflecting extensive time and effort. But only Israeli and Palestinian leaders can determine whether these proposals can meet the needs and aspirations of the people they represent. We encourage them to give these plans genuine and fair consideration, and explore whether they might prove a first step on the road back to negotiations.

Cabinet Office

Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that the Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission is unbiased, and perceived to be unbiased.

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that the Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission enjoys broad public support, engagement and input.

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish (1) proposals, and (2) the terms of reference, for the Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission.

earl howe: I refer the noble Baroness to the answer I gave to PQ HL36 on 7 January 2020. Further details will be announced in due course.

Honours

lord blunkett: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Orders of Merit or Companions of Honour have been awarded in the last 25 years to those resident at the time in (1) London, and (2) Yorkshire.

earl howe: Honours are bestowed on merit. However a key aim of the honours system is to make it more equitable and better representative of the whole of the UK.In the last 25 years there have been 84 recipients of the Companion of Honour. We do not collect the information requested, nor do we collect information on recipients of Order of Merit, as this is within the personal gift of The Sovereign.

Electoral Register

lord gilbert of panteg: To ask Her Majesty's Government, furtherto the Written Answer byLord Young of Cookham on 5 June 2019 (HL15875), what is the latest timetable for laying the secondary legislation on electoral registers, following the Cabinet Office’s engagement with stakeholders since June 2019.

earl howe: The Government is currently making plans to deliver an ambitious programme of measures to strengthen electoral integrity. We will make an announcement on our intentions in due course.

British Constitution

lord hennessy of nympsfield: To ask Her Majesty's Government which minister of full Cabinet rank holds ministerial responsibility for the UK constitution.

earl howe: I refer the noble peer to the List of Ministerial Responsibilities, which can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-ministers-and-responsibilitiesAs stated in that document, the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office has day to day oversight of constitutional affairs and efforts to maintain the integrity of the Union.

Conservative Party: Fundraising

lord tyler: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any copy of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2020 provided to the Government for official purposes has been given to the Conservative Party in order to support party fundraising.

earl howe: No. I am helpfully informed that the Conservative Party commercially purchased a copy of the Act at a retail price. The Act, which facilitates our departure from the European Union, and delivers on the wishes of the British people, is available from all good bookshops.

Department of Health and Social Care

Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Rehabilitation

lord brooke of alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of inequality of access to drug and alcohol services for offenders across the UK; and what steps they are taking to addressany such inequalities.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Revolving Doors Agency, with support from Public Health England (PHE) and the Home Office, published Rebalancing Act in January 2017. The report addresses inequalities among offenders, including inequalities in accessing drug and alcohol services to help improve public safety, prevent offending and reoffending and reduce crime. It found that people in contact with the criminal justice system experience barriers to accessing services, because of complex health and social care needs, challenging personal and social circumstances and poorly designed services. A copy of the report is attached.PHE takes steps to address any inequalities that offenders experience in accessing drug and alcohol services. This includes producing guidance to support local authorities and NHS England and NHS Improvement in commissioning services for people in contact with the criminal justice system. 



Alcohol commissioning
(PDF Document, 171.27 KB)




Drugs Comissioning
(PDF Document, 173.08 KB)




Rebalancing act
(PDF Document, 2.34 MB)

Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Rehabilitation

lord brooke of alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the reduction of NHS-operated drug and alcohol services on the training of psychiatrists; and what steps they are taking to address any shortfall in addiction-specialised psychiatrists.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: No formal assessment has been made.However, the Royal College of Psychiatrists is undertaking research to understand the issues with recruiting additional psychiatrists and how these might be resolved. The results of this work are due to be published imminently, and we will work with the Royal College of Psychiatrists to support them in taking forward any recommendations. This will form part of our efforts to meet our commitment in the Prevention Green Paper, Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s, to developing a shared understanding of the difficulties facing the wider substance misuse workforce. In addition, we are holding a United Kingdom-wide ministerial drugs summit on 27 February, launching the next phase of the Dame Carol Black Review, and developing an addictions strategy, all of which will pick up on this theme.

Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Rehabilitation

lord brooke of alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for protecting, or increasing, current levels of investment in drug and alcohol services.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Local authorities are responsible for assessing local need and commissioning services to meet identified needs, including for drug and alcohol dependence, using the ring-fenced public health grant. The ring-fence requiring the grant to be spent on public health, including drug and alcohol services, remains in place for 2020/21. The grant will increase in real terms in 2020/21 meaning local authorities can continue to invest in prevention and essential frontline health services.

Alcoholic Drinks: Minimum Prices

lord brooke of alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the response byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 21 January (HL Deb, col 1043), what instructions they have given Public Health England about monitoring and assessing the efficacy of minimum unit pricing in Scotland; and when willPublic Health Englandbe reporting any such findings.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Public Health England have not been formally commissioned to undertake a review of the evidence of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) in Scotland. However, as part of their role in gathering evidence across areas to feed into the policy making process they are monitoring progress of MUP in Scotland and working closely with partners there to understand the impact of the policy. The Scottish Government is taking forward a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of introducing MUP. The Scottish legislation also includes a sunset clause and the Scottish Government are required to present a report on the impact of MUP to their Parliament five years after implementation. which will be published in 2023.

Health Professions: Migrant Workers

lord willis of knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) registered nurses, and (2) registered midwives, leftthe Nursing and Midwifery Council Register in 2018–19 to return to other EU or non-EU countries.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Department does not hold information on the number of registrants who have left the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register and also departed from the United Kingdom.

Coronavirus

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people who have flown to the UK from Wuhan, China, since the outbreak of the coronavirus was announced have been contacted; how many of those have been tested for coronavirus; what steps they are taking to (1) identify, and (2) locate, those yet to be tested; andwhat assessment they have made ofthe statement by the Chief Medical Officer for England on 24 January that there is a “fair chance” thatthe UK will see cases of that virus.

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Imperial College London's estimate that 3,301 passengers have left Wuhan airport every day going to 20 international destinations over the last two months.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: On direct flights from Wuhan into the United Kingdom, 1,466 passengers and 95 staff arrived between 10 and 24 January. Of these, 162 of the passengers have already left the UK, 53 of the crew have already left the UK and all of the remaining passengers (1,304) are now outside of the incubation period.As of 5 February, a total of 468 UK tests have concluded, of which 466 were confirmed negative and two positive. Information is published daily online on the Coronavirus: latest information and advice page on the Government website.Posters and leaflets with health advice has been made available in all UK international airports, Eurostar terminals and Dover. As of 5 February, the two patients who tested positive are receiving specialist National Health Service care and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus.The NHS is extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread. We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organization and the international community as the outbreak in China develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities.

Coronavirus

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to use artificial intelligence to help combat the recent outbreak of coronavirus.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: £20 million has been made available for novel coronavirus research via a rapid research call announced by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department via the National Institute for Health Research. The investment will ensure world-class United Kingdom academic and industry expertise can initiate new and additional research as quickly as possible including, where appropriate, artificial intelligence. Projects will contribute to the understanding, diagnosis, prevention and management of the virus, including the study of behaviours that may contribute to how it is spread and can be contained. This fund is in addition and complementary to the £20 million funding announced by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which will go to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to ensure quicker access for children to child and adolescent mental health services.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: We have committed to at least an additional 345,000 children and young people aged 0-25 being able to access mental health support by 2023/24.Our Green Paper Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision: a green paper aims to improve the provision of services for children. One of the key proposals of the Green Paper is to create new Mental Health Support Teams in and near groups of schools and colleges, to enable children to get timely support for mild to moderate conditions.In December 2018, we announced 25 Trailblazer sites to run the first wave of 59 Mental Health Support Teams. In 12 of these areas we are also testing a four-week wait standard, exploring how Mental Health Support Teams and specialist services can work together to achieve more timely access to appropriate treatment.

MMR Vaccine

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimatethey have made of the number of children aged five who have not had both doses of the MMR vaccination.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Public Health England reports childhood vaccination coverage statistics for England. In 2018/19 there were 94,342 children aged five years who did not have a record of receiving both doses of the Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine. Of these, 55,916 children had received dose one of MMR and 38,426 had no record of receiving MMR.

Asthma: Medical Equipment

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the study from the University of CambridgeThe costs of switching to low global-warming potential inhalers. An economic and carbon footprint analysis of NHS prescription data in England, published on 30 October 2019, which found that switching to more environmentally friendly asthma inhalers could achieve large cabon saving and reduce drug costs.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: NHS England and NHS Improvement are aware of and have considered the study referenced. The findings are being taken into account alongside other evidence in understanding the impact on patient care, the environmental impact and the costs involved in a change in the mix of inhalers to lower carbon alternatives.As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, the National Health Service restated its commitment to the carbon targets in the UK Government Climate Change Act 2008, reducing carbon emissions, on a 1990 baseline, by:- 34% by 2020; and- 51% by 2025In particular, the NHS Long Term Plan commits that a substantial reduction in the carbon impact of inhalers and anaesthetics over 10 years, will contribute to the overall NHS carbon reduction targets. The propellants used in pressurised inhalers are potent greenhouse gases.

Kingston Hospital: Parking

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey are satisfied that the Kingston NHS Foundation Trust isable to maintain permanently a minimum number of 797 car parking spaces for patients, visitors and staff, in line with planning obligations, as a result ofthe sale of a plot of hospital land to residential developers.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action the Kingston NHS Foundation Trust is taking to ensure the re-provision of 75 permanent, as opposed to temporary, parking spaces for the benefit of patients, visitors and staff to replace those lost as a result of the sale of a plot of hospital land.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The appropriateness of parking is the responsibility of the local National Health Service trust.NHS organisations have autonomy to make decisions that best suit their local circumstances.

NHS: Staff

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many members of NHS staff provided fraudulent qualifications between 2017 and 2019.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Data on the number of cases of staff providing fraudulent qualifications detected in the National Health Service over the last three years is collected by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority. The information requested is shown in the following table. Financial yearNumber of cases2017-18122018-1992019-204

Liothyronine

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the operation of data protection legislation in respect of Clinical Commissioning Groups asking to see patients' personal health data when reviewing the use of liothyronine for the purposes of cost cutting.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are legally responsible, as data controllers in their own right, to abide by data protection legislation when processing any data. The Department does not assess their operation of data protection legislation.CCGs are the responsible commissioner for the prescription of liothyronine and it is for CCGs to have regard to guidance set out by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England and NHS Improvement.

NHS: Finance

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase the amount of long-term funding for the NHS.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The National Health Service will see its day-to-day spending rise by £33.9 billion in cash terms by 2023-24. We are now enshrining this funding in law through the NHS Funding Bill.In September 2019 we announced the next stage of our strategic investment in the NHS; the Health Infrastructure Plan (HIP). The HIP will deliver a long-term, rolling five-year programme of investment in health infrastructure. This will ensure that health infrastructure is fit-for-purpose for decades to come.At the centre of the HIP is a new hospital building programme, which we are backing with £2.7 billion funding for six new hospital schemes that are receiving funding to go ahead now, aiming to deliver by 2025, and £100 million seed funding for a further 21 schemes, covering 34 hospitals, that have the green light to go to the next stage of developing their plans, aiming to deliver between 2025 and 2030.Future NHS capital funding will be provided for in the multi-year capital settlement the Department will receive at the next capital review.

Health Services: Weather

baroness thornton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of NHS trusts' ability to manage increased patient risk this winter.

baroness thornton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they have given to hospitals to help them manage any increases in activity and workforce shortages over the winter period.

baroness thornton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the demand for ambulance services over the winter period.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: To support performance this winter additional capital and revenue funding was made available to systems and trusts to support staff and bed capacity throughout the winter. This has allowed Trusts to increase bed numbers and facilities to support better flow and, as a result, the National Health Service has reported over 1,000 more hospital beds are open this winter than at the same time last year.In addition, a further £240 million has been provided again this year for adult social care to help reduce delays in patients being discharged from hospital by providing social care support.This is all additional to winter funding last year that provided £145 million of capital funding to hospitals. £36.3 million was also provided to ambulance services for 256 new state-of-the-art vehicles and ‘make-ready hubs’ which shorten the turnaround times for vehicles and increase their availability. The winter period is usually considered to be from December to March, therefore an assessment of demand for ambulance services can be made after winter has finished.Despite a huge increase in demand, the Care Quality Commission’s State of Health and Adult Social Care Report 2018/19 shows that the vast majority of patients continue to receive good, safe care. Overall quality of care in NHS acute hospitals has improved, with 72% of core services rated as good or outstanding, up from 66% in the previous year.The quality of care in NHS ambulance trusts has also improved over the last year, with seven out of 10 trusts rated as good and none rated as inadequate. And, as at January 2020, 84% of adult social care settings were rated as good or outstanding. Four out of five adult social care services are rated as good, similar to 2018, and 996 services are providing care that is rated as outstanding.

Cancer: Research

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the article, Pan-cancer analysis of whole genomes, published in Nature on 5 February.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The article adds to the growing body of evidence that cancer genes and mechanisms are altered by mutations in non-coding DNA, this is approximately 95% of the genome which does not contain code for a protein. Analysis of whole genome sequencing data can provide information on how mutations in both coding and non-coding regions relate to cancer and other diseases.In 2018, the Government committed to sequencing at least one million whole genome equivalents over the next five years and this will provide the data for further analysis of the contribution of both coding and non-coding DNA to disease processes.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Health

baroness suttie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of public investments in research and development towards delivering the targets set out in Sustainable Development Goal 3 on health.

baroness sugg: Public investments in research and development have had significant impact across a range of diseases and have contributed to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3. For instance, UK support has been instrumental in the development of Coartem Dispersible, a child-friendly antimalarial drug. More than 390 million treatments of this life-saving drug have been delivered to over 50 countries since its launch in 2009. This is very likely to have helped reduce the number of deaths from malaria. DFID support also enabled the development of the first paediatric tuberculosis (TB) medicine, which is now available in 93 countries that account for 75% of the global paediatric TB burden.

Department for Education

GCE A-level

lord kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any problems concerning the recognition of A-level qualifications by universities in the EU.

baroness berridge: Recognition of a range of academic qualifications, including qualifications for access to higher education, is covered by the Council of Europe/UNESCO Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region, to which most countries in the European Region, including the UK, are signatories.The UK National Recognition Advice Centre (UK NARIC) provides, on behalf of the government, advice on the comparability of international qualifications with those of the UK. UK NARIC is a member of the European network of national information centres that act as a primary contact point for the recognition of international academic qualifications.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords: Catering

baroness walmsley: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what steps the House of Lords administration istaking to increase the availability of halal food in its cafeterias.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee to respond on his behalf. Following careful consideration, the provision of halal products when weighed against demand, is unfortunately not viable in terms of costs, logistics and supplier management.Upon request for events, the Catering and Retail Service (CRS) can provide pre-stunned halal meat and poultry from certified and trusted suppliers that meet the standards for recognised accreditation schemes such as the RSPCA’s Freedom Food and Red Tractor.CRS fully understand that all its customers do have wider individual requirements which it aims to cater for. In doing so CRS provide weekly changing menus in our cafeterias and table service restaurants offering an increased array of vegan and vegetarian options which continue to grow in popularity.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Private Rented Housing

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to introduce the Renters’ Reform Bill.

viscount younger of leckie: The Government is committed to enhancing renters’ security and improving protections for short-term tenants by abolishing 'no-fault' evictions and introducing a lifetime deposit, to ease the burden when tenants choose to move. A Renters' Reform Bill to deliver these commitments will be introduced when Parliamentary time allows.

Disabled Facilities Grants

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made to ensure that Disabled Facilities Grant is more easily accessible to older tenants in the private rented sector and their landlords.

viscount younger of leckie: Anyone can apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant, including people living in private rented accommodation, subject to a means test and an assessment of need. Tenure should not impact a person’s ability to access the home adaptations they need. The Government also funds Foundations, the national body for home improvement agencies. Foundations works closely with local authorities to promote best practice in the delivery of home adaptations, including providing information and advice to older people living in private rented accommodation and their landlords.

Housing: Construction

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that all new homes are built to Lifetime Homes Standards.

viscount younger of leckie: The M4(2) standard, set out in Approved Document M to the Building Regulations, for accessible and adaptable homes is broadly equivalent to the independent Lifetime Homes standard. Planning guidance on housing for older and disabled people published last summer strengthened the link between plan making and the M4(2) standard. Government will also consult shortly on options of how to raise standards of accessibility in all new homes. This is a further step towards raising accessible housing standards.

Homelessness

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide homes to homeless people in the UK.

viscount younger of leckie: This Government is clear that no one should be without a roof over their head. In 2020/2021 we are providing a further £437 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. This marks a £69 million increase in funding from the previous year.The Government is committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing and has made £9 billion available through the Affordable Homes Programme to March 2022 to deliver approximately 250,000 new affordable homes in a wide range of tenures, including Social Rent. This helps us prevent people from falling into homelessness while also supporting more people into homeownership.Since 2010, we have delivered over 464,500 new affordable homes, including over 331,800 affordable homes for rent.

Social Rented Housing

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what studies they have commissioned on the benefits of establishing additional social housing units to (1) the economy, (2) crime levels, and (3) regional inequality.

viscount younger of leckie: The Government is committed to increasing the supply of social housing and has made £9 billion available through the Affordable Homes Programme to March 2022 to deliver approximately 250,000 new affordable homes in a wide range of tenures, including Social Rent. This includes an additional £2 billion, and the ability for Local Authorities and Housing Associations to bid for funding to build social rent homes.Since 2010 we have delivered over 464,000 new affordable homes, including 141,000 social homes across England. The social housing waiting list has decreased by 37 per cent since 2012, enabling more people to have the security of their own home.We will also engage HM Treasury to renew the Affordable Homes Programme, building hundreds of thousands of new homes for a range of people in different places. This will help us prevent people from falling into homelessness while also supporting more people into homeownership.We listen to the needs of tenants and in 2018 published A New Deal for Social Housing, moving forwards with the upcoming Social Housing White Paper. The White Paper will set out measures to empower tenants and support the continued supply of social homes. This will include measures to provide greater redress, better regulation and improve the quality of social housingWe also engage research and evidence to inform our policy decisions on housing. In 2018 a literature review was commissioned from The Centre for Housing Policy at York University. This review of social housing considered current policies and public attitudes, as well as developments in reducing crime levels, area deprivation and helping to keep residents out of poverty. The review may be found (attached) at: http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/136236/1/MHCLG_Green_Paper_Review.pdf



Social housing evidence review
(PDF Document, 2.12 MB)

Home Office

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 28 January (HL424) and the absence of such a stipulation in the Immigration Rules, how they ensure that these assessments are not open to abuse.

baroness williams of trafford: Higher Education Providers with a track record of compliance are the only sponsor type who can make an assessment of the English language ability of students studying at degree level and above, and must have demonstrated compliance for a minimum of 4 years before gaining this privilege. Compliance is demonstrated to UKVI by annual assessments and sponsors must also gain independent educational oversight from the Office for Students. UKVI can audit sponsor records in the course of their assessment. If sponsors fail to adhere to their sponsorship duties and fail to demonstrate a sufficient level of compliance, action will be taken by the Home Office which can include revoking their Tier 4 licence.

Northern Ireland Office

Trade: Northern Ireland

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultation they intend to undertake on any secondary legislation regarding access for goods, products and services between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

lord duncan of springbank: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has been clear on the importance of involving Northern Ireland in the next stage of work, both political (the Executive) and public (businesses). We will work closely on how the Protocol is implemented, including on approach to the movement of goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Proscribed Organisations: Northern Ireland

lord caine: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their current assessment of the structure, roles and purpose of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland.

lord duncan of springbank: There was never and remains no justification for the existence of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland. Responsibility for tackling activity by paramilitary groups or those associated with them, that have previously declared ceasefires rests with law enforcement and the devolved authorities. Both the Fresh Start and the New Decade, New Approach Agreements commit all relevant authorities to take a range of measures to tackle paramilitary activity, however that manifests itself. Updates on relevant activity to address this problem are provided to the Policing Board, the Department of Justice and the Justice Committee. The UK Government has the lead on paramilitary groups which have not declared ceasefires. These groups represent a SEVERE national security threat and although small and disparate, continue to show a reckless disregard for public safety. As a Government, we are committed to ensuring that our response to these groups and the harm these causes are robust and effective.

Proscribed Organisations: Northern Ireland

lord caine: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to update their assessment of the structure, roles and purpose of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland, published on 20 October 2015.

lord duncan of springbank: In 2015, the UK Government commissioned the Assessment of Paramilitary Groups in Northern Ireland in order to provide a factual assessment from the UK security agencies and the PSNI on the structure, role and purpose of paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland.As the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers, made clear at the time, this assessment was specifically intended to inform then ongoing cross-party talks.